Hyūga Hizashi stepped into the rear courtyard of the Hyūga main house.
Just moments earlier, the Third Hokage and the senior leadership of the Leaf Village had come to a final decision. The elders of the Hyūga clan had agreed as well.
Although his brother, the clan head, found the outcome impossible to accept, it was the only solution that could resolve the rising tensions between the Hidden Cloud and the Hidden Leaf.
But for Hizashi, the choice wasn't about duty to the main family.
It was about protecting Neji, his brother, their family—and the Leaf Village itself.
And now, all he wished for was to see his son one last time before he walked to his death.
"Neji… look at all those birds today. They're flying so freely, so happily…"
Hizashi looked up at the vast blue sky, his heart oddly calm, filled with a rare sense of peace and freedom.
Yes…
Ever since he was branded with the Caged Bird Seal as a child—marked as a member of the branch family—he had been taught that his sole purpose was to serve and protect the main family.
Especially after watching Neji grow and begin to show unparalleled talent, Hizashi had felt this injustice deeply.
More than once, he had silently cursed the system. Cursed the main family.
But now… this choice, at least, was his own.
A free choice.
"Haaah…"
He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.
Maybe it was just his imagination, but for the first time, even the air he breathed on this land felt fresh and pure—like freedom itself.
"Neji?"
As he turned the corner, he finally found his son—only to see Neji in an aggressive stance, facing off against another boy.
The stranger had black hair and dark eyes—clearly not a member of the Hyūga.
"Hyaaah!"
Neji didn't believe a word Senju Haruto had said.
Not long ago, Hinata had been kidnapped by ninja from the Hidden Cloud.
And now here was an unfamiliar boy standing in the courtyard—he could easily be an intruder who slipped in undetected.
Haruto looked a good six or seven years older than Hinata. There was no way they were classmates.
Most suspicious of all, Hinata had run away the moment she saw him.
Clearly, he was lying.
With lightning speed, Neji closed the gap and aimed a strike at Haruto's face, trying to end things swiftly.
To be fair, Neji's attack was flawless—clean, efficient, and without a single visible opening.
From a distance, Hizashi watched the whole scene.
Each time he saw Neji display such skill, his heart ached.
Why…
Why couldn't someone like Neji have been born into the main family?
Why must there even be a distinction between the main house and the branch family?
Why the curse seals? Why the Caged Bird?
Neji's talent outshone everyone. Among his peers, there was no equal.
In the whole of Konoha, few could rival his potential.
And yet… the heiress of the main family, Hinata…
Hizashi sometimes felt as though his Byakugan could see the future.
If war were to break out again, Hyūga Neji would surely distinguish himself, earning great honor for the village—perhaps even becoming a hero.
So why?
Why must he be born into the branch family?
Hizashi clenched his fists.
He had come to see Neji one last time, to tell him that this sacrifice was his choice.
But now, watching his son's graceful movements, his heart was a storm of emotion.
If only… if only he could live to see Neji grow up.
To witness the day the Caged Bird seal became a relic of the past.
"Huh?"
To Hizashi's astonishment, Neji's attack—though perfect in angle, speed, and force—was effortlessly dodged.
Haruto merely tilted his head slightly, and the strike missed.
But it wasn't as simple as it looked.
The true strength of the Hyūga clan wasn't just their unrivaled taijutsu, but their innate dōjutsu—the Byakugan.
With it, they could predict movements, strike with perfect precision, and defend flawlessly.
Neji, unfazed, instantly analyzed Haruto's movement and launched a follow-up strike.
But even without a dōjutsu like the Byakugan, Senju Haruto could read every aspect of Neji's attacks.
At this point in time, Neji was indeed unmatched among his peers—and with the Byakugan as support, he was even more formidable.
But even so…
Haruto's strength surpassed Neji's.
Seeing Neji adjust his stance and go all in again, Haruto chose not to dodge this time.
Instead, he stood firm and gathered chakra at his chest, reinforcing his defense.
BOOM!
Neji's palm struck Haruto directly—but what he felt wasn't impact, it was recoil.
A deafening shockwave exploded in his ears as an immense force sent him flying backwards.
Like a kite with a broken string, Neji soared through the air, crashing violently a dozen meters away.
Haruto turned calmly toward him—just in time to see Hizashi, who had appeared silently at the edge of the courtyard.
Neji had landed right at his feet.
And on Hizashi's face was a look of pure shock.
Even with the Byakugan, he had completely failed to track Haruto's movement.
From his perspective, Haruto had merely tilted his head—then stood still.
Yet in the next moment, Neji was sent flying without Haruto having made any visible move.
Could Haruto's strike have been too fast for him to follow?
Impossible.
Even without activating his Byakugan, Hizashi's visual acuity far exceeded that of ordinary ninja.
What shocked him even more was that Neji—acknowledged as the greatest Hyūga prodigy in decades—had been taken out in a single exchange.
Haruto didn't even need to try.
"F-Father…"
Neji, lying on the ground, saw his father and froze in embarrassment.
Did he witness that?
Clenching his fists, Neji's heart burned with frustration. He activated his Byakugan, prepared to try again.
But deep inside, he was shaken.
How had Haruto launched that counterattack?
How did he do it?
Just as Neji was about to strike again, Hinata—who had fled earlier—returned, this time accompanied by a servant.
Even so, Hinata still hid timidly behind the doorway, unwilling to step forward.
"Stop!"
The maid raised her voice to halt the confrontation as she rushed over, holding a small child in her arms.
Noticing Hizashi nearby, she quickly explained the situation—that Haruto was not an intruder.
"You're… Hyūga Natsu and Hanabi?"
Haruto looked at the maid standing between him and Neji and recognized her immediately.
She was a maid of the Hyūga main house—and the one responsible for caring for the two-year-old Hanabi during this time period.
From the looks of it, Hinata must have run off earlier to find her and explain the misunderstanding.
Haruto glanced over toward Hinata—only to see her shrinking even further behind the doorframe.
At most, she mustered the courage to give him a tiny nod.
Haruto sighed inwardly.
"Man… this version of Hinata is way too shy."